By State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex)
(369 words)
I walked out of the Georgia House Chamber on April 2nd because my conscience—and my constituents—demanded it.
Senate Bill 185, which would ban gender-affirming care for transgender individuals in state custody, is more than just another cruel bill. It is a line in the sand.
It’s a reflection of what this Republican-controlled legislature has become: a place where punishment is policy, and hate is hidden behind headlines. And I refuse to be complicit.
I represent District 76 in Clayton County, a community full of working families, educators, veterans, small business owners and young people with big dreams. They deserve hope—not to be targeted and trampled by politicians who’ve lost touch with decency.
SB 185 may have been the bill we chose to walk out on, but it could just as easily have been:
- Senate Bill 86, undermining the autonomy of our locally elected district attorneys;
- The Religious Freedom Act, a door-opener to discrimination;
- Or the proposed “America First” license plate, whose origins are rooted in white supremacist movements dating back to the KKK.
This isn’t accidental. It’s a pattern. A calculated strategy to divide us, distract us and dismantle progress.
While Republicans push these toxic bills, here’s what they’re not doing:
- They’re refusing to expand Medicaid, while people in rural Georgia die without care;
- They’re diverting money from public schools and starving classrooms to fund private vouchers;
- They’re privatizing prisons, turning incarceration into profit off of Black and brown bodies;
- They’re attacking local leadership, trying to silence the voices elected by voters to speak for them.
And what’s worse—when you dig into the heart of these actions, you won’t find compassion. You’ll find bitterness, fear and a hatred of progress.
I walked out because I will not be silent while cruelty becomes the law of the land. I walked out because silence is complicity. I walked out because the people of Georgia deserve more than what they’re being handed under this Gold Dome.
To the people of District 76, let me be clear: We are not going backwards; We are not giving up; We are not done fighting.
And I will be right here with you—walking out when I must but never walking away.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.
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